Red Lipstick
by Always Hopeful
Summary: Before Minerva and Albus' first date, Pomona tells Albus what thee things to look for to see if Min is excited... Her outfit, her hair, and... Red lipstick? ONE SHOT! COMPLETE!


**Disclaimer: I own nothing and there is no reason why I would ever claim to owning any of it.**

**A/N: Thank you to OSUSprinks for the idea. Thanks for the help. This was a challenge from her. I had to write a story that involved Min and Albus getting together, and it also had to include lipstick and Professor Sprout. Hope you liked it.**

**Red Lipstick…**

To say that Albus Dumbledore was excited would be a gross understatement. He was beyond excited. Today was the best day of his life, for it was the day that he would be going on his first date with Minerva McGonagall. He had spent the past twenty five years working side by side with her and possibly a little bit longer in love with her. And now, finally, they would be going out, not as Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, but as man and woman.

He hummed a little tune as he combed through his beard one last time. This night would be one to remember. He was sure of it. As he raked his fingers through his beard one last time, he heard a knock on the door to his office. Well, he thought, this is it. Don't screw it up! With one final look at himself in the mirror, he smiled and went to his office door.

"Oh, you're early-," he stopped when he saw Professor Sprout standing in his doorway, beaming. Despite himself, he felt his face fall. "-Pomona," he finished. Pomona Sprout rolled her eyes.

"And a lovely evening to you too, Headmaster," she retorted before chuckling. "Do you mind if I come in for a moment?" He stepped aside.

"Of course, Professor," he replied. She entered as he closed the door. "So sorry to as rude as I was. You see, I was expecting-,"

"Minerva McGonagall, the love of your life, the light of your life, the apple of your eye, and the cream in your coffee." Pomona finally finished and managed to catch a breath. Albus stared at her, stunned. He was not sure what to say. Fortunately, he was saved from saying anything. "Don't worry, Albus. The romantic going-ons between you and a female member of our staff is entirely your business. So, naturally, the whole staff knows." Albus chuckled.

"I see your point, my dear professor," he replied, once again going over to the mirror. "I suppose I _have_ been a little obvious, haven't I?"

"Like a black eye," Pomona replied. Albus looked at her through the mirror and quirked an eyebrow. Pomona laughed. "I have definitely been around children too long."

"I can see that," he replied. Pomona walked up behind him and she smiled.

"You look fine, Albus," she replied. "But I did come up here to perhaps offer you a few tips." He turned and looked at her.

"You assume I need advice on dating, Pomona?" he asked, his eyebrows raising to his hairline.

"Not advice, just tips and hints," replied Pomona. "Poppy would do it, but she's out keeping an eye on Rolanda. She wanted to go drinking, and she can be a bit… different, when she drinks." Albus nodded.

"Yes, I seem to remember her seventh year when she snuck some scotch into the girl's dormitory. Everyone almost got away with it, too, until Rolanda came out shouting at the top of her lungs and her undergarments on her head." Pomona smiled.

"Yes, that was quite amusing, wasn't it?" she mused. She shook her head. "Anyway, I thought I might help you with a few of the signals that Minerva might send out tonight that will allow you to see just how interested a woman is in her date." Albus was amused by this.

"I do admit that it has been a while since I last dated, but I do not think things have changed all that much, has it?" Pomona quirked a brow.

"Do you want my help or not?" she asked. Albus held up his hands in defeat.

"Alright, alright," he laughed. "I shall gladly accept any tidbits of information you would like to give me." Pomona smiled and nodded.

"Alright, thank you," she said. "Sit!" She pointed to the couch and Albus did in an attempt to humor the Herbology professor. "It is all a matter of presentation. You can see it all in the way the woman is dressed. If she looks like she does any other day, then she may not see this date as anything more than two friends going out. But if she puts even more into her appearances than usual, than you can see she is very interested in you." Albus had to bite back a laugh. He knew Pomona was close to Minerva, and therefore he was willing to humor her. He looked at her seriously.

"Really?" he asked. She nodded.

"First, look at what she is wearing. Now Minerva is a very conservative woman, as I am sure you have noticed with her heavy teaching robes. But I know for a fact that she is planning something more light-weight and beautiful. I was not told what, but she did tell me that much."

"Light-weight. That is definitely interesting," Albus replied, stroking his beard. Thank goodness for his beard, otherwise Pomona would have noticed his blush.

"Second of all, you look at her hair. If Minerva's hair is in its customary bun, then she is unsure about the date. But if she lets it down, then she is really trying to impress you." Albus smiled.

"Okay, clothes and hair," he replied. "Anything else?" Pomona sighed and reached into her pocket.

"And this," she replied. She showed him a small cylinder piece of plastic and handed it to him.

"What is this?" he asked as he looked at it.

"It's lipstick," replied Pomona. Albus pulled the top off and looked at it. It was a deep shade of red and looked almost like blood. Albus chuckled as he looked up at Pomona.

"It's a nice shade, Pomona, but it really is not my color," he said. Pomona rolled her eyes once again, though she still smiled.

"Of course it's not, Albus," she said. "This is what you want to look for. Now, Minerva is not a very drastic person, as I am sure you know. She is not one to waste any money on make-up or anything else she may find to be frivolous. If she wears pink lipstick, there is mild interest, though you may have to work hard and keeping her interested. But if she wears red, especially one close to this color, then it must be love."

"Why do you say that?" Albus asked, looking at the lipstick curiously. "She could just like the color." Pomona laughed.

"Not Minerva. Even if she did love that color, she would only wear it to impress you. Trust me, I know because I am her best friend and have been for years. She only reserves this color for men she longs to be serious with." Albus nodded slowly. He chuckled nervously and capped the lipstick once again.

"So red is good," he said, clearing his throat nervously. "Anything else?" Pomona thought for a second before looking at him and simply smiling.

"Just don't screw it up." He didn't have time to reply as there was another knock on his door. Pomona smiled her reassurance. "Have fun." Albus cleared his throat once again and stood. He shook her hand.

"Thank you, Pomona," he told her while shaking her hand.

"You're welcome, Albus," she replied. "I just want to help two people whom I know will be great together." Albus nodded.

"Thank you very much, Pomona," he replied.

"I'll take your fireplace, that way I won't intrude on your date. Have fun." And with that, she turned and entered the fireplace. A few moments later, she was gone. Albus straightened his robes one last time before walking towards his door. He still was unsure as to why Pomona had decided to tell him about how to tell if Minerva wanted a serious relationship or not, but he merely shrugged it off. He had a date to get started.

But as he made his way towards the door, he found his heart was pounding harder and harder. Would Pomona's words really ring true? Would he be able to gage Minerva's anxiousness about their date by the way she prepared herself? What if she treated this as though it were any other outing? His heart was pounding so heavily he could hear it in his ears.

Finally, he reached the door. His fingers graced the golden handle. His breathing was becoming labored as he clutched the handle in his hand. What would he find on the other side of that door? What would she look like? Had she put as much thought and devotion to her appearance as he had to his?

Albus broke up with a start. He stared around his darkened room. The summer breeze blew through his open window, causing the gossamer curtains to flutter about, allowing the moonlight to spill through. It was still early summer, so the breeze was still slightly cold. He rolled out of his warm bed and made his way towards the window. He looked out and smiled slightly. He breathed in the wonderful scent of the wind. He loved the smell of early summer morning. It was only four in the morning, and he loved the sweet scent of the blades of grass. There was only one scent he loved more than that.

"Albus? Are you coming back to bed?" His smile broadened as he heard his wife of more than a decade. He looked back at her.

"Yes, my dear, I am coming," he replied. "Just closing the window, my love." He did this quickly before walking quickly to the warm bed and loving embrace of his wife. He kissed her forehead.

"Sorry to have woken you up, darling," he said. She sighed contentedly against him as she rested her head against his chest.

"It's okay, I was just thinking," she replied.

"About what?" he asked curiously.

"Our first date," she replied. He smiled as he tightened his hold on her.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" he asked. She nodded.

"I am so glad Pomona lent me that red lipstick," she said sleepily. "I never wore it before."

"Well, my darling, I love that color on you." With that, he closed his eyes as well and they fell into a peaceful sleep once again.

**A/N2: Okay, so let me know what you think. Hope you guys liked it. Thanks again to OSUSprinks for the idea, Read long and prosper. Always Hopeful**


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